Talk:KThxBye/@comment-5261392-20180313020221
I recently finished and caught up with Everything Sucks! and Jane the Virgin, respectively, and I wanted to write an appreciation post for two w|w ships that have stolen my heart - Kate/Emaline and JR/Petra. ♥ There are spoilers ahead, so read at your own risk. Before I delve into this one, I want to address something that is controversial - the age gap between the actresses. Peyton (Kate) is 14, while Sydney (Emaline) is 20. While I understand why this would make some people uncomfortable, I truly believe that if the actresses were uncomfortable, the writers would have changed or cut the scene. The farthest they've gone was make out. There are many pairings on TV that have had age gaps like this before - for example, Emily/Alison from PLL and Jackie/Kelso from That 70s Show. While I respect people's decision to boycott the show because of it, there are SO many reasons why Everything Sucks! is fantastic. There are at least two LGBT+ characters, one of whom is the lead, the male lead is a black boy who lives with his single mother, and the show carefully tackles issues such as parental issues and abandonment, sexuality, and dating in high school. But I digress. Kate and Emaline really took me by surprise. I knew nothing about the show before watching it, so I had no idea that they would interact in a positive way, let alone have feelings for each other! While Emaline treated Kate shoddily in the past, she apologized for it and proved that she did it because she was insecure and jealous, rather than to merely rip on and hurt Kate. The two of them, despite the original conflict, thought so highly of each other. They were so happy to start spending time together and really brought out the best in one another over a short period of time. Emaline realized her worth and beauty, which she never did when she was with Oliver, and showed a kind, soft, gentle side that she hid with her outgoing and overdramatic personality. Kate, who was originally scared to come out and originally used Luke as a beard, felt happy, confident, and safe with Emaline. The two of them are able to explore their newfound feelings with no pressure from the other. They're just so adorable and pure. I am LOVING the bisexual representation JtV is having this season! Bi characters are so often underrepresented and when they do exist, they have issues even stating their sexuality. However, we had Adam, who was bisexual and crushed stereotypes. Although Adam left the show quickly, he was a bisexual male who dated the lead and that's pretty progressive. Now, we have Petra, one of the female leads, discovering her newfound feelings for a woman. I was never a fan of romantic!Jane/Petra. I always thought with their strained and conflicted history, as well as contrasting personalities that cause them to frequently butt heads, they would be a mess. I love how the writers new the fans wanted Jetra and instead of queerbatiing them like so many writers would, they wrote in another character named Jane who would be an actual love interest to Petra. What makes these two work is that they are both smart, headstrong, and complicated women who understand each other on a deeper level. They are able to challenge each other. Petra is someone who is hesitant to open up or admit when she's feeling vulnerable, but she is so head over heels for JR. She denied herself of her feelings - she was having sexual dreams about JR that shook her, but when she finally admitted her feelings, she was so happy. The usual reserved, icy Petra we usually see was giggling and blushing at cute texts from JR. I think that JR can really humble and calm down Petra, despite their tricky circumstances. And on another note, their chemistry is through the roof and they're so fun to watch!